


Words Around It

by Unproductive_Fangirl



Category: Marvel, Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, trouble with words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 11:58:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17304194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unproductive_Fangirl/pseuds/Unproductive_Fangirl
Summary: Just a fluff piece that is set post the team saving Karolina and Chase from the alien ship, which I'm assuming they'll do in season 3. The comment that Janet made that the device they used on Nico could have lasting effects proves correct, and despite the fight being weeks ago she still sometimes can't find the right word, especially after waking up from nightmares of everything that happened.





	Words Around It

**Author's Note:**

> Post Chase and Karolina being rescued which I assume will happen in season 3.

Karolina rubbed at her eyes, pushing herself up on one elbow as she glanced around. It took only a moment for her to figure out what had woken her up. Nico was still asleep next to her, but she was shifting under the covers and mumbling something, hand gripping the blanket tightly. Having a nightmare.

Taking a deep breath, Karolina just looked down at her for a moment, preparing herself. Then she sat up properly and reached over to gently place a hand on Nico’s shoulder “Hey-” 

She barely started to talk when Nico sat up, eyes wide as she looked around the room, hand already extended to call the staff to her.

“Woah- hey- no need for that,” Karolina said softly, reaching over to take the hand Nico had extended before the staff could fly to it. As she did, Nico’s head snapped back to look at her. The terror she saw there made a pang go through Karolina’s heart.

“It’s okay,” She gently reached up to move some of Nico’s hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear and letting her hand linger on her cheek “It was just a bad dream. Nothing’s here, just breath alright. Focus on that. Focus on breathing, and on me. No one else is here. It’s just us.”

Nico nodded a bit, her eyes focusing on Karolina’s, as she started to take more even breaths. Karolina continued to talk, careful to keep her voice even and calm as she did so, fingers gently moving through her hair.

“S- Sorry for waking you… up?” Nico’s voice was soft, her brow furrowing a bit at the last word.

“Up,” Karolina agreed, giving her a small smile and leaning forward to kiss her gently for a moment “And it’s alright. I was already awake, so nothing to worry about there.”

“Right-” Nico replied, and there was the slightest hint of teasing in it. She had always been good at telling when Karolina was lying, but luckily she didn’t push the subject any farther than that.

“Right,” Karolina gave her a small smile again, still moving her hand gently through Nicos hair. Softly she asked “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s dumb-” Nico shook her head a bit, trying to push it off, though Karolina could tell it bugged her more than she wanted to admit.

“Still, tell me about it?” She asked, gently trying to push the other girl into opening up. If Nico really didn’t want to talk she would have just said that. Saying it was dumb meant she was deflecting instead. Trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal when it was. “I doubt it’s dumb.”

“It was about…. our….” Nico shook her head, a bit before looking back at her, and Karolina could see her struggling to find the right word “Our…”

“Hey, it’s okay. Words around it,” She said softly. It had been months since the fight with their parents, but whatever they had used to keep Nico from thinking of spells had clearly had some sort of lasting effects. Karolina wasn’t sure if it had actually effected her brain or was some sort of trauma, but either way Nico still had issues with words sometimes. Especially when she was panicked. 

So, when she was having a hard time, they had come up with “words around it”. Not the most original name, but it got the point across. Whenever she was struggling she would say words that mean similar things or had to do with it, and whoever she was with would try to help her think of the word. Karolina was the best at it, closely followed by Alex.

“Us- but older- adult uses-” Nico closed her eyes, clearly concentrating.

“Our parents,” Karolina replied with confidence, moving to kiss the corner of Nico’s forehead before asking “Everyone’s parents, or just yours and mine?” 

“Mostly… you and me…” Nico, shook her head a bit, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down “I- the fight with m- mine and- when the… the magic wand…”

“Your staff,” Karolina supplied, before sighing a bit when she put together the rest of it without Nico having to say anything “When it told you to kill Jonah.”

Nico nodded, looking away as she did so. Karolina just leaned forward to kiss the other girl’s forehead, before gently moving to catch her eye.

“It wasn’t your mom Nico, she was being controlled by a tempermental teenage alien.” Honestly she wasn’t sure if that would help or not, but it felt like the right thing to say. Really that was all she had to go on in situations like this, what felt right and what had worked in the past. “And you didn’t kill Jonah. The body he was in was in was already dead. All you did was delay his plans, which is a good thing. You didn’t kill anybody, and in the end it helped us stop him.”

Slowly Nico nodded again, not responding. Instead she just squeezed Karolina’s hand. For a few minutes neither of them said anything, just sitting in silence like that. 

“Could you… light?” Nico said after a few minutes, voice steadier now despite the issue she was still having with words. That was normal. Usually when she first started to struggle she would panic, and that would make it work, but once the others managed to figure out what she meant a few times she would relax more, even if it was still hard.

Karolina just smiled “Of course-” 

Honestly she wasn’t sure why the lights seemed to reassure Nico. If anything she would have expected her to never want to see them again after everything Jonah and the others had put them through, but for some reason they seemed to.

Raising her free hand, Karolina slowly made her fingers start to glow, before starting to manipulate it to make a stream of rainbow light that drifted lazily around the room. It was remarkable how easy it was for her to do it, when only a few months ago she had to concentrate just to make herself glow on command. Now she could easily make a light that circled around them, illuminating the room enough for comfort, but also not to bright for sleep. 

Nico smiled a bit as she looked around at them, before looking back at Karolina “They’re beautiful- like you.”

“Like you’re one to talk.” Karolina smiled at her in return, glad that Nico seemed to have calmed down more now “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Nico replied, leaning forward.

Despite the control that Karolina had grown to have over her powers, the light around them brightened as they kissed. The colors became more vibrant, and it wasn’t until they pulled apart that they dimmed down to a softer light again.

Reaching up to tuck Nico’s hair behind her ear again, Karolina finally released the other girl’s hand “Try to go back to sleep. I’ll keep the lights on till you can.”

“You don’t have to. I think I’ll be okay now,” Nico replied heitantly.

She wanted her to though. Nico found comfort in the lights being there even if Karolina didn’t understand why. She just didn’t want Karolina to have to stay awake to keep the lights up for her, especially after waking her up.

“Let’s just both lie down and try to sleep,” Karolina offered, knowing it would make Nico feel better, but also knowing she wouldn’t actually let herself fall asleep until the other girl had “I’ll keep them up until I start to drift off, okay?” 

Nico hesitated again for a moment, before giving her a small smile “Okay.”

Still smiling, Karolina shifted to lie down next to Nico, staying near the other girl. There was a few moments of silence, before Nico softly added “Thanks-”

“Of course,” Karolina kissed the top of Nico’s head, before softly adding “Sleep.”

It was only when she was sure Nico was asleep that Karolina finally let the lights around them slowly go out, and let herself drift back off to sleep as well.


End file.
